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Lewis Hamilton say there’s “a racial element” to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s statement on the need to tone down swearing over the team radio.
Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said Formula 1 drivers need to act more responsibly over the team radio and not swear, adding that they are “not rappers”.
While Lewis Hamilton agrees swearing should be toned down, he believes there was “a racial element” to Ben Sulayem’s statement.
“There are two segments to that because I’ve only heard of that today,” the Briton said.
“On one side, when I was 22, I didn’t think of it as much and it was more your emotions are just firing and you’re just saying whatever comes to mind, not forgetting how many people and kids are listening.
“I agree in that sense that you listen to some of the younger drivers, and they’ve not got it yet, and at some stage, they probably will.
“I’m sure if you say there are penalties for it, people will stop. I don’t know whether that is needed, but I definitely think there is a little bit too much [swearing].
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“With what he is saying, I don’t like how he expressed it. Saying it was rappers was very stereotypical, and if you think most rappers are black, it really points it towards: ‘We’re not like them.’
“So I think those were the wrong choice of words, and there is a racial element there, but as I said, I agree with cleaning it up a little bit.
“It is also good to have some emotion, it is very, very hard and we’re not robots.
“For me, the way I control it is that I have over 2000 people who are working towards me doing this and having this position and being where I am with a lot of followers of all ages.
“But it is not about me, even though I have this experience on track, what I do and what I say affects all those people sacrificing time with their families.
“[They are] giving absolutely everything for me to have this privileged position and opportunity, so it is understanding that and putting that aggression somewhere else,” Hamilton concluded.
